Sidney

Sidney is situated on the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island and currently hosts a population of about 11,300. It is including on the list of the 13 Greater Victoria cities and is included within the Victoria metropolitan area. The Victoria International Airport is located several miles west of the city of Sidney and the BC Ferries' Swartz Bay Terminal can be located several kilometers to the north. It is the only port-of-call which links with the Washington State Ferry, with ferries running from Anacortes and the San Juan Islands in Washington to Sidney within British Columbia. Highway 17 intersects the city of Sidney.

To the west of Highway 17 is a combination of single-family houses and light industry buildings, with the majority of the city lying to the east. The eastern sector, although still containing several single-family units, concentrates are larger, condominium-type buildings along with several retail venues. Sidney supports a large boating and marine trade. Marinas, boaters, as well as marine suppliers prosper in the area.

The very first flour mill on Vancouver Island was constructed within the city of Sidney. When the city of Sidney was initially established, the community revolved around farming. Soon afterwards, sawmills were constructed to capitalize on the lush forests which cover the area. The lumber trade still thrives these days and is an important part of the economy.

The Saanich peoples were the first residents to the area prior to the arrival of Europeans. The Hudson Bay Company during 1852, obtained some tracts of forested land from the Saanich People. Soon after, during the year 1858, James Douglas obtained the majority of the remainder of the land. The very first European settlers Charles and William Reay arrived in the year 1859 and, using land bought from the Hudson's Bay Company, settled the northern portion of the Sannich Peninsula. Some of the first village remains part of the city these days. On the 30th of September, 1952 the city of Sidney was incorporated as a village officially.

"Sidney" is a name which comes from the Sidney Channel and Sidney Island. Prior to 1859, Sidney Island was called Sallas Island, but was later renamed by Captain Richards. Captain Richards named the island after Fredrick William Sidney, who later became a Royal Navy Captain. Before the Europeans arrived, the Sannich People referred to the area as Tseteenus.

The city of Sidney is located within a really convenient location with some transportation centers located close by. The Victoria International Airport is located a mere 5 minutes away and the BC Ferry lies several minutes north of downtown. There is an assortment of pleasure trips and ferries that begin their travels from Sidney and stop within the San Juan Islands and Washington State.

The city of Sidney has the largest concentration of marinas on Vancouver Island. Along the eastern seashore, there is an assortment of cities and marinas and boating facilities, like for example the Port Sidney Marina. The Northwest boating fraternity frequents the city of Sidney often with boaters arriving on a daily basis from California, Washington, Oregon, and Vancouver.